Justice Department Plans to Interview 5,000 Foreign Nationals

As reported earlier the Department of Justice plans to interview approximately 5,000 foreign nationals in connection with the investigations of the September 11 terrorist incidents. According to an email sent to the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) from the Department:

"As has been the case throughout this investigation, whenever we identify individuals who may have information helpful to the investigation or to our effort to disrupt potential terrorists activity, we will attempt to interview them. They are not suspects, they are simply people who we want to talk to because they may have helpful information.

The latest effort is a group of individuals who we have determined may have information that could be helpful based on a number of considerations:

1. They entered the United States from a country from which a terrorist might be likely to plot possible additional attacks and then enter the U.S. - this is based on intelligence information about past Al Qaeda operations. What this means is that the criteria is the country that an individual entered the United States from, not their national origin.
2. They entered the United States after January 1, 2000
3. They are males between the ages of 18 and 33

The list currently contains a little more than 5,000 individuals.

The interviews will be coordinated through the Anti-terrorism Task Forces in each of the U.S. Attorney districts and will include the assistance of local law enforcement officials. Each task force is receiving a list of individuals to interview."

Greenberg Traurig will continue to monitor developments closely. If you should have specific questions or if you think you may be on the list and wish to discuss your situation, please contact Greenberg Traurig’s Business Immigration Group.